


Notes Regarding the Folksongs of Mechanicsburg (and environs)

by willowoak_walker



Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Filk, Mechanicsburg is different, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 12:01:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12817095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowoak_walker/pseuds/willowoak_walker
Summary: These aren't the songs they sing to the tourists, so it can bereally hardto get all the lyrics. But it's worth a third of my grade, so I'm gonna try.I'm putting my notes here so they won't get eaten by a Banshee or something.Again.





	Notes Regarding the Folksongs of Mechanicsburg (and environs)

**Author's Note:**

> There's a reference to the Mechnicsburgers needing to bring out 'the little iron cages' for Agatha and Gil's kids.  
> Both that reference and this song were written _before_ people actually started putting children in cages. DON'T DO THAT.

Genres --

  * Mechanicsburg is the best and we can conquer all of you. (A lot of these sound like tourist songs until about the third verse when they start singing about the Jägers tearing into flesh and the Master rolling in the piles of loot.)
  * We are Jägers and we love it! (You have to be pretty sneaky to hear these; the only people who sing them are children between about nine and fifteen, and they stop if they see anyone older than that. I think maybe they are supposed to only be sung by Jägers?)
  * My lover/relative/friend is going to be a Jäger, hooray! (I actually got lyrics for one of the ones wondering what the future Jäger will look like! Not the beginning, though.) 

> >     ... Then he'll be my favorite Jäger, be the Jäger I adore!
>     
>     Will he be scaled or smooth or furry?
>     Will he be horned and tailed and hairy?
>     If he's blue or green or purple, 
>     He's still bound to make me whistle
>     He will be my favorite Jäger, he's the Jäger I adore!
>     
>     If he comes out looking human, 
>     Instead of green and horned and looming, 
>     He’ll still make outsiders wary,
>     His roar will be very scary, 
>     And he’s still my favorite Jäger, he’s the Jäger I adore.
>     
>     Whether he burns upon the pyre, 
>     Or he fights for ages more, 
>     He is still my favorite Jäger, he’s the Jäger I adore. 

  * The (Historical) Master wanted something funny. (The ones about the Heterodyne Boys _are_ sung in front of tourists. My favorite of the old ones is the one that goes "I don't want to go home, I want to eat bats!") 
  * My lover/relative died in the Master's service and it's a great honor but I'm still sad. (Some of these sound the same as the ones sung in other old Spark towns like Beetleburg or Balan's Gap.)
  * Rounds in which one part is the Castle, one part is the Jägers, and one part is the Seneschal. (I _really_ cannot get the lyrics to these. I only know what the parts are because they talk about who's going to sing which.)
  * Where did we put the little iron cages? (There are a _lot_ of these. I got two verses of one.) 

> >     Where did we put the little iron cages?
>     Where did we put the cages for the kids?
>     The Master’s children are truly amazing,
>     They’re ranting and rampaging,
>     And we can’t find the little iron cages for the kids!
>     
>     Where did we put the little iron cages?
>     Where did we put the cages for the kids?
>     The Master's children are truly precocious,
>     They’re plotting to depose us,
>     And we can't find the little iron cages for the kids!
>     

  * The Castle tried to kill me... 
    * And it failed, ha _ha!_
    * And it succeeded but I'm taking a long time to die...
    * And it failed but it got my friend/lover/relative...
    * And it failed but now I'm involved in one of the Master's experiments...
  * Why are the tourists surprised by all the wrong things? (Eg: Of course we eat snails, why don't they find eating sheep weird, sheep are for wool! or: Just what is so odd about Nyar spiders? (They eat people! With cutlery and impeccable 'table' manners!) or: Why are they not impressed by our lovely flowerbeds? It takes a lot of work to keep the carnivorous plants out, let me tell you!) 
  * You tried to conquer Mechanicsburg? Are you stupid? (Or: good, we need the parts.) 



Variations on common songs--

Common |  Mechanicsburg  
---|---  
      
    
    The Baron went a conquering and all he took with him was
     One giant airship to run his Empire in.

etc... (It's a counting song, of course, but every verse after 'one' is under debate...) | 
    
    
    The Master went campaigning and all he took with him was 
     One sleepy dragon to store his treasure in.

etc... (It's a counting song, of course, but every verse after 'one' is under debate...)   
\----------------------- |  \-----------------------  
      
    
    Ah, hush thee, my baby, 
    There’s naught that will harm thee,
    The Masters are sleeping, and the monsters abed.
    The walls of our town are built tall strong, and mighty.
    There’s nothing invading, now rest your sweet head. 

| 
    
    
    Yah, hush dee, my baby,
    There’s nozink vill harm dee,
    De Masters are humming and de Jägers avake.
    De Kestle is keepink its eyes on de valley,
    Dere’s nozink attacking dot ve cannot take.
      
  
And, yes, the lullaby has to be in full on Jäger level accent. Because I don't know why.


End file.
